The Lost Boy
by gostlcards
Summary: Bae went through the portal and ended up in The Land Without Magic; it's not Maine though-it's Arizona, and it's 1991. Rated for language, picks up after 1x19 "The Return"
1. Chapter 1

AN: Bear with me. I'm taking creative license here-yadda yadda yadda, I know it would've been like 1984 when Emma came through, and that the curse was implemented hundreds of years after Bae escaped but. this is my head canon. so do what you will with it.

Disclaimer: NOT MINE :)

* * *

In his dreams, he is falling-always falling, always screaming, always with his arms outstretched. He is furious, and so hurt and yet at the same time, all he wants is his father-

"Young man?" He is being shaken, suddenly aware of heat, and fresh air and grass. It is tickling his cheek, irritating his nose so he feels like he may need to sneeze but then he is super disoriented and his mind is spinning. He blinks, his eyes fighting to focus in the sunlight, and he smells dirt and dry air. "Young man! Are you alright?"

He pushes himself up on his elbow at his side, blinking rapidly as he backs away from the elderly lady that is shaking him. He is in a patch of grass that is about as large as their cottage was, but as he looks around he is terrified by his surroundings.

There is some sort of black rock in front of him, paved flat and on them, harsh, mechanical looking carriages that travel faster than anything he's ever seen. The old lady is leering over him, her white hair curly atop her head, thick glasses sitting low on her nose that hung from a chain around his head. "Boy, are you alright?"

He doesn't know where he is. The houses are strange looking, and there are hardly any trees around and he is alone and he is scared, although he is almost a man and can never admit it. His eyes dart around, wild in their sockets and he is pushing himself further away from the old woman. She will tell the police later that he appeared on her lawn, out of nowhere, dressed in a cloak and in ripped clothes, looking like a lost boy or something from a fairy tale. Lost boy, is what he hears himself teased as behind his back, the Lost Boy who will not speak, just presses himself against the wall as if he wants to disappear into them.

He was supposed to have his father. He wasn't supposed to be alone here.

They give him the name Peter, and he thinks it must have something to do with the moniker they have assigned to him along the way, what with how they smile at him when they assign it to him. He begins to speak after a few days, understanding that this is a different world, a place without magic. It is a place called America, and the region he lives in is called Arizona. There is a lot of desert, and it is dry and arid, with hardly any forest. He begins to go to school, eventually, which he finds strange and uncomfortable. He is drastically behind, leading his caretakers at the home he is placed in to believe he was raised in an isolated environment with very little guidance-their words, not his own. But as a new boy with no past and no friends, he resigns himself to study often and by the time he reaches the coming of age in this world, he has earned himself a slip of paper that says he is qualified to be on his own and earn his own money.

It was odd, to begin with. The carriages, called automobiles or cars, terrified him at first; getting him to the police station from the old woman's home was impossible, as he kicked and fought against the officers who had come to collect him. He tells them he is four and ten, at which they laugh but understand. He finds it difficult to make friends, the wild boy who is not used to the video games and the other strange gadgets they play with. When he turns 18, he finds a job at a local tavern called a bar and waits tables for tips. He manages to make a few friends, but mostly keeps to himself. He never tells anyone of his past, just that his father had a very tight hold on him for most of his life, but now it is only him. He knows they make up crazy rumors-that he killed him, that he ran away-but none of the rumors could be as crazy as the truth.

There's a girl that he works with that takes pity on him. She is a year or two older, with red hair and bright green eyes and he falls too hard for her too quickly. He still has nightmares, still dreams of falling through green light, screaming, reaching with arms outstretched, falling forever, but it is nice to have someone there to wake up next to. Her name is Erin, and she becomes his best friend, someone to talk to, but there is always something missing; she does not understand what it is like to be lost, and although she sympathizes with him, it's never quite right, and so they avoid the subject of his past. She comes from a close family, not terribly well off but with enough to get by and he knows she aspires to more than she has now. He doesn't consider what he wants though; he thinks as long as he has her, he'll be fine.

He is married to her for a few years before it begins to get cumbersome. He works for the city now as a fireman, something that will help pull in more money than waiting tables would without needing a college education. She begins to yearn for more-she wants children, and a home in the suburbs, and while normal is what he has always yearned for, he is not of this world. He does not want to be a father, as he believes he will only fail at it as his father has done to him and he could not bear bringing that upon someone else. There is something that pulls within him that begins to distance him from his wife, and begins spending more time away from their small, 2 bedroom apartment than he does in it.

And then he meets her. He is 24 when a girl rolls into town, spitfire and vinegar, a spirit he has never experienced before. She is young; barely out of school and freshly emancipated when he comes across her at the diner he frequents, a new waitress for a few months as she stops her for a bit, a vagabond of sorts by her own admission whose hunger for life and the world around her awakens something inside of him he did not know was dormant. She serves him his coffee and apple pie in the wee hours of the morning, after and before his shifts at the firehouse end, and he becomes quite the regular, so she begins to get to know him. At first, it's small talk-how was your night, crazy weather they've been having. But it evolves from there. When he finds out she, too, is an orphan, someone with a lost past, the connection is almost instantaneous and electric.

He starts meeting her at her small apartment that she shares with too many roommates-not the greatest people in the world either, but they help her get by. He goes after or before his shifts, sometimes early enough that they lay together after in each others arms and dream of what their lives could be like, laughing about the hard times they've had throughout. He is bitter, and angry, and realizes he has been for a long time, but this girl alleviates much of that and makes him feel..._better_. She is someone to commiserate with, and he feels less alone every time he falls asleep with her next to him. He never mentions his wife, so when she finds his wedding band one morning as he climbs out of her shower, she unloads on him and tells him to leave and never come back. He obliges; this was never going to end well anyway. He hears from the girls at the diner that she up and left pretty quickly after that without so much of a goodbye, but that doesn't surprise him; Emma acknowledged herself that attachments weren't really her thing.

In the end, it doesn't much matter. He and Erin end up divorced within a few years, as he is reluctant to have any children or put down serious roots. He stops working for the city and gets a job driving big rigs throughout the country, Emma Swan leaving that desire to travel around behind when she left. He, like her, feels like there is nowhere in this world he truly belongs, and sometimes wonders why Emma felt like the closest thing to home in all the years since he'd left. When he's 35, he receives a call that will change the course of his life and he get's his answer.

"Pete? Peter Foster?" The voice is soft and nervous, and it sounds like something of an echo, of a memory long past. He frowns and shifts his position, resting his weight on one leg.

"This is he."

"Hey, Pete." The voice sighs hard. "This is...well, this is gonna sound nuts, but...this is Emma Swan. D'ya, um...Do you remember me?"

He leans against the brick wall behind him, cell phone pressed to his ear at the truck stop he is at with a soft chuckle. Of course he remembers her. He nods and tells her he does, asks her how she is doing, exchanges other pleasantries before she finally gets around to the purpose of the call.

"Well, I kind of have a kid. And by I, I mean...we. We kind of have a kid, together. And I kinda need your help in getting him back."

* * *

He arrives in the small town in Maine and asks for a room at the small bed and breakfast. The lady who takes his name, Granny, he assumes from the nameplate outside, seems far away and distracted; in fact, everyone in the town does, as if they are lost in their own minds, trying desperately to figure something out that he can't see. He doesn't dwell on it long though. The two day trip has tempered his anger a bit at Emma from keeping something so major from him, but he is sure once he sees her again, that will change.

When meets her at the diner that night, there's already two empty cups of coffee next to her and it looks like she's drinking a giant mug of hot chocolate by the mound of whipped cream atop of it. His heart begins to race, and he feels his cheeks grow warm and he has to consciously tell himself not to make a scene, not to yell. He slips in across from her; she's still absolutely gorgeous, even more so than before. But she looks fucking terrified, and he wonders if that has everything to do with their situation or something else going on in this bizarre little town.

She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. "I really thought I was doing the best thing for him." She says in a quiet voice. "Please, please believe me."

"And was it?"

She looks away from him, up toward the ceiling and his heart constricts a bit as she wipes a tear that falls. _Goddammit_. He's always been a soft person; even back as a child, even trusting his father never taught him much. He's more bitter now, but he believes her, the fact that she called him here makes him believe her. He reaches out and takes her hand. Obviously, she thinks he would be better off now. But you can't just take a child back because your life is together now more than it was a decade before, and he tells her this. The sorrow flees from her face, and what replaces it can only be considered motherly protective instinct.

"That's not it." She snaps. "He came to me. He hates her. And he should, she's _fucking crazy_, Pete." She shakes her head. "I mean, I don't have any evidence, but I swear, she has done horrible things..." She breathes out, shaking her head. "Things not even I can believe, to be honest..."

She mutters the last part, and he knows she's talking more to herself than him. But he ignores it. Right now, he's worried about the boy; _his boy_. The sudden reality of it takes hold of it, now that he's here in this quaint little town and his grip tightens on hers, pulling her back to him. Oh Gods, what if he can't do this...what if this is a giant mistake? What if he comes into this boys life and he ruins it? Sets up all these expectations, promises he cannot..._will not_, fulfill?

Emma squeezes his hand back and he looks at her to see a mix of amusement and empathy on her face. "I know how you feel."

"No, you don't. Even if he found you, at least you knew about him." He snaps, and the guilty look takes her back once more. He pauses for a few moments, breathing in and out until he's found his rational footing once more. "What's his name?"

A smile lights up her face, and he can't help but share it; she loves him, that much is evident. She pulls out her cell phone and clicks a few buttons on the screen before handing it to him. "Henry. His name is Henry."

Bae laughs in spite of himself; he wants to remain neutral, make rational, logical, reasonable decisions, but he's got to admit...his kid is cute. He has Emma's eyes but his own brown mop of hair and smile. _Henry_. It's a good name.

"I do kind of want to keep your presence on the down low if that's possible." She warns. "You really don't understand what Regina is capable of. And I honestly don't want to know what she'd do if she knew you were here."

"I want to meet him."

"I know." She nods. "And you can. He'll be around here tomorrow, although Regina's been keeping him on a short leash as of late. I would appreciate it though if we could hold off on tell him who you are. I may have...I kind of told him you were dead."

The anger is back. This time, Bae sets the phone down and rises from the booth, throwing a few bills on the table. "Well, I suppose I will see you tomorrow morning then, if that's best. You know how to get a hold of me."

"Pete, wait-"

He doesn't hear the rest of what she says. He hears the ring of the diner as the door opens, the distinct tap of a cane hitting the linoleum. He turns to head out and looks up to see the face of the man who just entered.

A roaring sound fills his mind, as if wind is rushing past his ears.

_BAE!_

And suddenly he is alone in the dark, like in his dreams, and he is falling.

* * *

"Do you feel better today Mister..." The girl in the predominantly red outfit is wiping down the counter as he sits down. He flushes with embarrassment at the scene he made the night before.

"Foster. Call me Pete." He says. She flinches at the name, although even she seems unsure as to why, but smiles all the same and tells him it's good to hear. He glances back to the booth he was at the night before, and brings a hand to his head where a smiley face band aid covers a swollen cut. He smiles. "Must've stood up too fast, is all."

She smiles again. "That does happen. I'm happy it didn't turn you off to us."

She's not flirting, merely being cordial, and he smiles and nods, ordering a cup of coffee as he waits. If there is one thing in his 20 years in this realm he's come to appreciate, it's the food. Long nights driving a big rig have made him addicted to the black drink, and he has at least two or three cups when he phone dings to alert him that Emma and Henry are walking up to the diner. He is shivers, and cannot tell if it's the rapid succession of drinks or nerves.

He walks outside after paying, wanting the introduction to his son to be private. He meets them at the corner and spies Emma first, Henry eagerly chatting beside her about something she doesn't seem to be paying full attention to. As they get closer and she meets his eyes, her own fill with tears. He sees her blinking rapidly, willing Henry not to see them, not to question her. He smiles down at the boy who regards him carefully, looking between Emma and this strange new man he does not know.

"Henry, this is Peter Foster." She begins softly. "He's...an old friend of mine, from when I was younger. He's in town for a visit."

This seems good enough for Henry, although the boy seems to shoot her an impatient glance as he sticks out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Foster."

"Please, call me Peter." He says with a chuckle. The boys hand is small and warm, and he almost doesn't want to let go. Emma gestures into the diner and he follows the two, suddenly eager to share a meal and get to know this boy who is his son.

"Why do you have that band aid near your eye?"

Emma bites her lip to keep from smiling and Bae meets the gaze with a similar grin, though embarrassed. "Well, when I got into town last night, Henry, I came here to meet your mom for a drink and when I went to leave, I got up too fast and fell. Bumped my head on that booth over there."

"That stinks." He remarks, frowning. "Well, at least you're okay."

"Yeah, yeah, i'll be fine." He chuckles. "So you have school soon?"

"Yeah, I have to." The frown hasn't left his face. "What about you, why are you suddenly coming to visit my mom?"

Emma is smiling, and Bae expects the title is somewhat new that he's been using in public. He shrugs. "I...drive a truck, for work, and I knew she lived in Boston. I was going to swing in and say hi and she said she was here, so..."

Henry is watching him, as if he is weighing whether or not this is the truth. Emma shrugs, as if she does not know what to do with him and Bae laughs. "I promise, I come in peace."

"You're an old boyfriend, aren't you?"

Bae chokes on his coffee, spitting it up a bit and Emma's eyes widen. "Okay, kid, it's time to get you to school. You're mom would flip enough to know that you were here with us for so long. C'mon." She eyes Bae apologetically as Henry get's his things together. "I'll be back right after."

"So that's a yes." He can hear Henry as they leave the diner and see's Emma shake her head in exhaustion. Bae cannot help but chuckle to himself. What a precocious kid.

* * *

"He what?"

Emma sighs, rolling her eyes. "I know. That's what started this whole..." She waves her arms around. "Thing. He thinks that I'm supposed to be the one to fix everything, to break the curse. That the reason I was found on the side of the road?" She poses the question, to see if he remembers. Bae nods in acknowledgement. "Is because my parents sent me through a magically wardrobe that Gepetto carved out of a tree from the Blue Fairy." She shakes her head. "It's absolutely ludicrous..."

Bae has stiffened at the mention of the Blue Fairy though, and doesn't hear much past that. Fairy tale characters is one thing...but the Blue Fairy?

**_Reul Ghorm_**, the village girl's voice echoes in his mind. Good lords in all the heavens, sometimes he wonders why he ever listened.

But then he supposed he wouldn't be here. Henry wouldn't, maybe even Emma. Would anyone? Who knows how long time passed there, how long his father had wielded the Dark Forces and controlled the land. He wondered how this place even came to be, what the purported story was behind it.

"Who are your parents supposed to be?"

She doesn't realize he hasn't been listening and flushes in the middle of her rant about just how ridiculous this all is, as if she is trying to convince herself her son is wrong. "Mary Margaret."

He laughs. "Aren't you living with her? Well that's convenient." He shakes his head, then remembers the man from the diner. A brief glance, barely even registered, but suddenly, making perfect sense. "Who does he...who does he think the man with the cane is?"

"Mr. Gold?" She asks surprised. "I didn't know you had even met him. He's one Henry's not sure about. But really, come on..." She shakes her head. "Fairytales, Pete. Fairytales, and magic!"

He winces as if he has hit her, and she cannot help but stare. He shrugs. "It sounds like you're trying more to convince yourself that it's not true than it is."

She sputters, jumping to her feet as she slaps her hands to her thighs. "You can't possibly be even considering...you're all crazy! I just cannot..." She shakes her head. "Mary Margaret is my age! David Nolan is...is...well, he means well, but he's kind of a jackass." Bae can tell she is reluctant to say it, and means it not as an insult, and he wonders to her out loud if she would be more severe toward him if she truly did not believe the story.

She looks furious. "Well, at least know now where he gets this psychosis from." She snaps, shaking her head still as she grabs her things. "Don't encourage him, alright? Just...he has enough trouble as it is. I can't believe how you can even think..." She is still muttering angrily to herself as she stalks off. He stays on the bench, staring into the cold night.

"Because I know." He whispers as she walks away. "I know exactly who he is."

* * *

"Young Henry has taken quite a shine to you." The man's soft voice is deceptive in that it gives the false impression of peace. There is no other person you should trust less, really.

Bae closes his eyes and breathes in deeply, slowly, before steeling himself to turn. He has been dreading this ever since the night at the diner. He's gone out of his way to avoid the pawn shop owner in the past few days, but he is not surprised, given Henry's correct fairytale theory, that he has now been sought out, as he's been spending an inordinate amount of time around the two.

He looks just as he remembers he did when he was a boy, before the Ogre Wars overtook the lands and the men started to come for the children. There is a stirring of longing in his chest that lasts only for a moment before it is extinguished with bitterness and anger. He forces a tight smile. "He's a good kid."

"Aye, yes, that he is." Mr. Gold walks to him now, slowly, the tap of the cane loud against the cement in the chilly air. They are alone on the main street outside of the Inn he's staying at, and Mr. Gold is circling him, as if he is prey. Bae wonders if he has any idea of his true identity; if he does, he is not showing it, and he has no intention of giving him the idea.

"Can I help you, Mr...?"

"Gold." The man offers, stopping now, seemingly satisfied with his examination. "I was just curious, what has brought you to our fair town."

He shrugs now, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Emma's an old friend. Thought I'd swing by and see her new place, say hi."

"You...are from the area?"

"I'm a truck driver." He supplies, eyes narrowing. There is no innocent question from this man, and he is careful not to give away too much. Gold smiles and nods.

"Ah, I see. Sounds like a...lonely lifestyle. Not much family, I take it?"

Bae frowns at the implication, knowing that Gold is merely trying for a reaction. This man is nothing like the father he knew; he is merely still the Dark One, but in his old clothes. "Sir, I'm not sure how any of this is relevant or, to be honest, your business."

The smile that the graces the man's face makes Bae go cold-he has made a mistake. "Of course, of course. I understand, your relationship with Ms. Swan and Henry is a...delicate one."

His heart is racing; that is the assumption Gold was working off of and his evasion has only increased the certainty. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I mean, it's awfully convenient that an old friend of Emma's rolls into town only days after she has made it clear she will be fighting for custody of her son." He says simply. "Especially one such as yourself. I'm not sure either of you are aware of how you interact, but it's clear...friends, you are, but how good of friends..."

"There is nothing going on between Emma and I."

"I'm sure there's not." He smiles in a slippery manner. "Have a good night, Mr. Foster."

Bae watches him go, fading into the night, and is sure he has never told him his name.

* * *

"I want you to tell him. I want him to know."

The conversation from the night before with Gold has unnerved him. He wants to tell Henry, before someone else has a chance to, before Regina finds out and spirits the boy away, before anything else may go wrong.

Or maybe he just wants to tell him, because he is his, and he wants him to know that. Seeing his father has affected him in a way he had not expected; he is still angry with the man, and will probably never forgive him completely, but if it has taught him anything, it's how precious that is. He does not want to taint it with Henry; he wants a real chance, and he's not real sure how Emma's going to react at that, but he doesn't really much care.

"Look, I understand that you're mad..." Emma begins, her tone one that is usually used to placate a child. He's had it.

"You understand nothing!" His hands slam down on the booth they are sitting at, causing the china to jump with a great noise, drawing some looks from the other patrons. He lowers his voice to a furious whisper, and Emma watches him with wide eyes. "I didn't have a choice! I _have never_ had a choice!"

Emma sits back now, her hands up in the air aside her head. She didn't know him long at all, but she knew him to not have such a temper and the ferocity of his claim startles her.

"You said you didn't want kids."

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "You still should've told me." It is not just her. Even if he threw the bean on the ground, he feels like he truly has never had a choice in any of this.

He has never been a big believer in fate, because he is reluctant to believe that it was destined that his father become the monster he was, or that getting stranded in this place was meant to be. But when he thinks of Emma, of her unfortunate past and of Henry, it just seems all too fortuitous. He may not have planned it, but magic always did have its consequences and while it may not exist here, it certainly led them to this place. He understands now, in the course of the past week that he has been here, that none of this has been happenstance. Emma-he and Emma had obviously happened for a reason, although he doubts his father had anything to do with it. But he knows one thing for sure.

He's not his father. And he's not giving up this gift without a fight.

* * *

They are at a spot by the lake, where he is told a play set once stood that was Henry's only refuge. His sons arms are around his waist tightly, his head pressed into his chest hard. He lets his hands run over the kids soft brown hair, a smile on his face he cannot keep away and he drops his head to look down at he top of it. He's vaguely aware of Emma a few feet in front of him, weeping softly, but he is not very keyed in. He is enjoying this too much.

"We can't tell my mom," Henry's voice is muffled, and when he pulls away, his eyes are wide and panicked. "You can't, she'll...she'll hurt you, and Emma! She knows you're trying to get me back."

"I know, I know. " Bae squats so he is at eye level with the boy. "I just didn't want to keep it from you anymore. I didn't want you to think i'd lied to you." He pauses, catching himself, and then steeled his gaze into his son's. "Henry, I promise you, I will do everything I can to never lie to you."

He seems to consider it for a moment, then breaks into a smile. "I know."

* * *

"I'm sure he will be sad. When you go."

The man is everywhere. A chill runs up his spine as he turns with a sigh. "Hello, Mr. Gold. How are you this morning?" Emma had to be in early at the station, so he has taken Henry to school after their breakfast at the diner, a ritual that Regina still has thankfully not put a complete stop to.

"It's a fine morning." The old man comments with a shrug. "Is our fine Mayor aware you've taken over for Ms. Swan in the mornings?"

"Does she need to be?" He rounds back, his tone clipped. He grows more irritated as Mr. Gold laughs.

"Calm down, my boy, I mean no harm."

There is something about the what he says-_my boy_-that causes Bae to snap. He is grateful there seems to be no one else around.

"What _gives you_ the right..."

"No one gives me anything around here, lad. I take what is mine _by right_. I have earned it, I swear." He snaps. "I own this town. And you'd do well to remember that, if you're going to be hanging around much longer."

He realizes now that Gold believes him to be Henry's father, but has no idea past that of his identity, which gives him some comfort. Bae is a threat to him, he knows this; he is not part of the plan, an unexpected newcomer, much like the Stranger was that Emma has told him much about, and so he cannot be good. He shakes his head with a scoff, turning to walk away. "Typical..." He mutters to himself.

"Excuse me?" Gold asks, as if insulted.

"Nothing, Mr. Gold. It was nice speaking with you."

He begins to retreat again, feeling the man's gaze on his back. He will not relent, he knows this, and waits for something more; Rumplestiltskin always gets what he wants.

"I'll let Regina know that i'm sure you're a fine escort for her son."

He recognizes a threat when he hears it, and is not inclined to be idle. He swings around, still feet from the older man. "You will mind your own business, _for once_-"

"You keep speaking to me as if you know me. As if I've wronged you in some grievous manner. I assure you, sir, if that is the case..."

"You abuse your power over this town." He remarks coolly. "Emma, Henry...everyone here, I'd gather, are innocent people in whatever game it is your playing. I'd rather not be a pawn in it."

The shop owner grins. _Too late for that_, Bae thinks to himself. He is lucky to have the ace up his sleeve. He does not know if this is the best venture to take, but Gold already knows who he is to Henry. "If you try and take him from Emma or I, you'll regret it."

"Don't threaten me, boy." Gold snaps, the grin gone. He has, by this time, hobbled over so he but inches from the younger man's face. There is a predatory flash in the mans glare that passes to be replaced with a conniving smile. "But, if you were willing...I could be of some service to you and Ms. Swan, if you'd like."

"I've been in town for a week, but I know better to make a deal with you, old man. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"I always honor my agreements, lad. I promise your boy-"

Bae has had enough. He was always a pacifist in the Old Realm, but here, he cannot help it. He grabs the cloth of Mr. Gold's jacket and fists it. "You will stay away from him. And you will keep quiet about it. Consider it pay back for the deal _you did not keep_."

The blood drains from Gold's face quickly, the words taking a moment to fully sink into his mind. Bae releases him quickly, hoping he will not regret his words. He can see the old man is unnerved and cautious, and doesn't quite know to believe him, or even if he has inferred the words correctly. Bae isn't going to stand around and find out. He straightens his arms. "Have a good day. _Sir_."

He stalks away, out of sight, toward the Inn. Mr. Gold stands there alone for a long time.

* * *

"He's been watching us a lot more closely lately." Emma comments later that day. Henry is not with them, having gone right home after the school day was over. Emma is sitting across from him, sipping on a hot cocoa even though its warm outside, enjoying a bit of a reprieve before going back to the station. Bae has made acquaintances here-Mary Margaret seems to like him enough, and he knows she knows who he is, as does her boyfriend David, who doesn't seem to like Bae as much, which really makes sense when he thinks about it-but Emma is the one he knows best, so they spend a lot of time with each other. He bites his lip at her observation; Mr. Gold had been in the diner when they arrived and although he has been inconspicuous, the little hairs on the back of his neck still are on end. He sighs.

"He knows." He says softly, and Emma's eyes go huge. She's about to start yelling so he grabs her hand to calm her. "He figured it out. But don't worry, I'm handling it."

"Handling it? **Handling it!**" She whispers back furiously. "Goddammit Pete..." She is shaking her head. "I swear to God..."

"I promise you, Emma."

"That doesn't mean much to me and you know it." She snaps. "He's dangerous." She warns. "Be careful; his deals are far from fair."

She doesn't quite understand the wry, sad smile that graces his lips. "You know, I believe that even more than you know."

Her eyebrows shoot up and she wants to press for more, but her phone buzzes to life. She growls in frustration and throws a five to the table, point at him as she pockets the cell. "You're going to tell me everything later. Or i'll throw you in jail, so help me God."

He holds his hands up with a laugh. "Alright, alright. I'll see you later."

Mr. Gold slips into the booth moments after she is gone. Bae is still sipping his cup of coffee, anticipating the visit. "Good afternoon, sir."

"I think we've spoken enough to skip the niceties." He waves off Ruby as she passes by to take an order and relaxes back in his seat. His hands are resting on the formica surface, fingers drumming. He was nervous; Bae wondered if anyone in this sleepy little town had ever seen him nervous.

"My father always taught me to respect my elders." He replies with a shrug, and Gold's gaze falls, commencing to look around the restaurant. Anywhere but at Bae; he was taunting him, and he knew it.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? That it could make up for...past indiscretions?"

Bae put his coffee down, looking up at him. There was sorrow in the man's eyes to be sure, the corners of the drooping toward the floor. He was older, he could see that, and he looked so much more exhausted than he had this morning. He had no doubt that Gold was sorry. But he wasn't sure how much of a difference that made.

"It would help."

"And you'll stay then? In town, you'll stay here. With Henry?" _Near me_, he can hear the implication.

"I don't want to leave." Bae responds smoothly with a shrug. "How could someone let that sort of opportunity slip through their fingers? Their only son? How could someone throw that away?"

He says it on purpose. He wants the knife to twist and Gold flinches under the statement. "_Bae..._" Gold whispers, cautiously, like a question, even almost like a prayer. No one has ever spoke his name to him, not in many, many years. It's too much, too soon.

"I'm not," He replies, shaking his head as he pushes away from the booth. He needs to leave. "I am no one's son. Not anymore. Not for a long time."

He leaves the old imp alone, just like always, just like the man chose, so many years before. He hurries from the diner, doesn't even look back. He'll just avoid him from now on, he decides. This dynamic is too much, and making sure everything is alright with he and Henry and Emma is so much more important to him right now, he just doesn't have the time or the ability to deal with all of the baggage that comes with anything else.

But then Henry is there. He is grinning up at Bae, his smile wide and bright, seemingly to appear from nowhere, claiming that he has snuck away from home because he wanted to hang out. Bae cannot help but smile back. He knows from Emma's brief rant a few days before that Henry believes her to be the savior of the town, to break the curse and restore the natural order, but he cannot help but believe that being here, seeing his father once more, coming home...Henry is the hope. Henry is _his_ hope.

He pulls the boy to him in a hug, rubbing his head affectionately before letting him go. Henry is chattering excitedly about showing him his storybook, that his dad-he loves that word, by the way-is now a member of Operation Cobra (something he'll have to clarify with Emma because he doesn't really get that), and stands in front of him, staring upward, talking a mile a minute. Bae looks into the diner though; he finds Gold's gaze over his son's head, and see's the old man is watching them closely, pain in his face. Bae meet his gaze pointedly, and smiles, even offering a small nod.

He watches as Gold's jaws twitch, and he sits for a moment, very still as he swallows and nods to himself. He hopes the man understands; he will go to him later, later that night, and he will speak with him. He wants to be done with this. He can have a home here now, with Henry, and Emma, and even Gold. He will be happy here, eventually. He will be no longer lost.

"C'mon Henry," He pats the boy on the back. "Let's go and have you show me that Storybook."

And Henry, a smile on his face with not a doubt in his mind, leads the way.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: An add on for "The Lost Boy". At least one more to come. It's mostly written. I have a whole big idea for this, as I find it fun to play with Bae a bit, but we'll see if it comes to fruition, if my creative juices want to keep going.

**Most importantly, I would love to thank all of the people who have reviewed/favorited it, especially recently. This was intended as a one-shot, but as I kept getting decently steady reviews, coupled with the hiatus becoming intolerable, I decided to add a little bit to it. So this is for you guys, really. :) I hope it's decently well received.**

This is largely a rehash of things from the finale, I'm afraid, but with Bae's character thrown in from the story-i even tried to get much of the dialogue the same, although there have been off shoots and additions to some of the conversations. Not much Pinocchio, but an allusion or two; he'll probably pop up a bit later, but given the distinct lack of chemistry he and Emma shared in the show, I just don't have a drive to write them together :/ There is a bit of a spoilerish bit at the end, but not too great-just...setting descriptions based on some leaked on-set pics from the first week of filming.

* * *

It was scarcely a week that passed after he'd come to the little town when Bae truly learned what it was to fear completely. He had thought he had known it long before, when he was just a boy and had come to this world all alone but even then, with the possibility of something more in front of him, it had been a bearable weight. Now, the lone possibility was that the future he had so wistfully been lost in this past week would soon be merely a dream.

He had begun to visit Mr. Gold's pawn shop regularly for dinner these past few weeks, unless plans with Emma or Henry had arisen, bringing food from the diner across the street while the old man worked. He had kept it from them, knowing Emma would never approve, knowing she would glower and tell him he shouldn't, and worse yet, ask him why; it wasn't a question he wanted, or really even knew, how to answer.

Gold didn't seem to care either way. The dinners had started awkwardly, with short generic questions about work, about his past, about what driving a truck was like. He would ask him how Henry was, and how Emma was, and how he was getting along. They never mentioned the past beyond Arizona, never mentioned their home. It was the elephant in the room, the time bomb that sat ticking; he knew if it was breached too soon, it would cause chaos and destroy the very foundation of this new relationship they were both trying to forge. It was difficult to forgive something when all that it was consisted of pain, and anger, and distrust. When they were stronger, more like friends...it would happen. Bae would make sure of it. He was just pleased his father was intelligent enough to not broach it either.

His phone rang incessantly that Friday night. He had silenced it after the first few times, seeing the blinking envelopes from time to time. Gold had raised his eyebrows, nodding toward it.

"You should get it. It's really alright. It could be something important."

Bae's eyes narrowed. His father spoke in riddles, in secret ways that always meant something else, but his gaze seemed genuine, if not even concerned. He knew there was something happening in this little town, and he was sure that his father had his hands all in it. When the phone rang again, he picked it up slowly, watching Gold the entire time. The older man just continued to cut his meat.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell have you been, I've called you like 10 times!" Emma's voice shrilled through the phone, screaming in a panic unlike anything he'd ever heard. Immediately, the setting forgotten, he rose from his chair and stepped into the adjacent back room, his other finger in his ear.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." He replied calmly as she launched into a string of unintelligible words. "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not all right, do you think I'd be calling you like this if it was?" She seemed near hysterical, and his heart plummeted. Only one person existed that she would call him about in such a frenzy. If something was wrong with Mary, she would be calling David. But this...

"Where are you?" He croaked.

"I'm on the way to Storybrooke General. Henry just...he just collapsed, Pete, and he's not getting up, and I don't know what to do..." Her voice was cracking and he could practically see her in his minds eye, pacing in the halls, not leaving Henry's room. "You should come down here. It's Regina, I know it's Regina, and I think...I'm going crazy Pete." She paused. "You need to be here."

"I'm on my way." He answered quickly, without even a glance at the table. While he was in panic mode on one hand, his rage increased on the other. His father had expected this, he was sure of it. He wondered what it could be, if it were some sort of magic trick or game he was playing, but this time, it wasn't just anyone he was playing it with-it was his kid. He stalked back into where the dinner sat getting cold, snatching his jacket from the chair. Gold had risen, his brow furrowed in concern as he stood behind his chair, hands on it's back.

"Is everything alright, Bae? You look a fright."

"Henry's in the hospital, I have to go." He answered coolly. At this, Gold paled visibly, and it made Bae all the more angry. "If you had something to do with this, anything to do with this," He hissed, shrugging his jacket on to his shoulders quickly. "This is done. We're done."

The door slammed behind him. Gold didn't follow.

* * *

He got to the hospital quicker than one would expect, pulling up moments after the ambulance had arrived. He wasted no time, parking illegally in a handicapped spot before slamming the door behind him and darting to the automatic doors where Emma followed the gurney looking frazzled and panicked, although speaking calmly to a doctor. He walked up behind her, and when she turned to see him approaching, relief blossomed on her face.

"Hey," She sighed, nodding a greeting to him before turning back to the doctor. While he wanted to ask questions, he figured listening to her at this moment may be the best option for him as she appeared to be on a mission. He stood back, listening to her tell the good doctor how Henry had taken a bite of a pastry his mother had made before collapsing. The doctor, in kind, responded that they would run tests, but that Henry's vitals were stable and normal, as if he were just sleeping but could not be awakened. That he couldn't explain it, that such an unconsciousness almost seemed to be brought on by...

"Magic..." She whispered, stumbling back into Bae. He grabbed her forearms lightly, offering a reassuring squeeze but she shrugged him off with a scowl.

"Emma..." He cautioned as she spun around, backpedaling toward the bed where Henry's pack lay. "Emma, I know this is hard..."

"What do you know?" She snapped. "You've been a parent for 5 minutes."

"Oh yeah, and who's fault is that?" He returned sharply, her stricken expression immediately causing him to regret it. "That was uncalled for, I'm sorry. I'm just...we need to stop for just a second and think about this..."

"I have thought about this." She said, stopping before the pack. "Henry took a bite of that pastry because he was sure Regina had made it from a poisoned apple, to kill me or...whatever, it is the damn thing does in the story. He ate it to prove it to me, because he believed..." Her voice cracked, eyes wide and shiny with tears. Bae thought she looked a bit mad, but he knew that that was too great a possibility that he wouldn't admit to believing in. If it was magic, though, believing in that would be the first thing they'd have to do to save their son, because only magic would be able to help him now.

She shook her head, not saying anymore as she picked up the bag and emptied it's contents onto the bed, her eyes darting wildly at them as she seemed to be trying to figure the puzzle out. Upon seeing the giant bound book Henry lugged around everywhere, she immediately picked it up with both hands and seemed to freeze in mid air, the blood visibly draining from her face. She swayed on her feet, so much so that he thought she may faint, so he rushed to her side and grabbed her arm.

"Emma?" He asked worriedly. She blinked rapidly a few times and shook her head, her eyes turning red as she visibly fought tears and he wondered what had happened, wondered what opening her mind up to the possibility that all of this was true had shown her. She dropped the book as if it had burned her, bracing herself on the bed with both hands as she seemed in a trance. He opened his mouth to say more, but they were interrupted by the sound of the door swinging open and the panicked cries of another mother.

"Henry! Where is he?"

Emma's face grew hard at the sound of the Mayor's heels clicking against the linoleum floor toward the bed. With a growl that started deep in her chest, she whirled away from Bae's hands and lunged at the Mayor, her hands finding the woman's throat.

"_You_ did this!" She exclaimed, pushing the woman into the supply closet. Bae followed closely, his curiosity and need to fix this, fix Henry, pulling him in. As Emma seemed completely absorbed in taking her frustrations out on the woman she was blaming for this, he wanted answers, so if Emma got too frustrated, he would step in and do what he needed to get them. "It's true, isn't it? It's all true!"

"I don't know what..."

"He ate the pastry because of you!" Emma spat, and the fight seemed to go out of Regina like air from a balloon. She sank back against the wall away from the two, her eyes darting wildly around as she thought about the words. Her expression hardened.

"That was meant for you! You were supposed to eat it!"

"So it is true?" Emma demanded, her mouth pulling downward, eyes desperate. She had accepted it as truth, he knew, or the book would not have shown her the answers as it had seemed to have done, but hearing it from Regina was something she obviously needed. Regina looked lost and defeated, but he had to give her credit for something; her concern for Henry seemed her highest priority, so she crumpled.

"Yes, it's true! It's all...true." She looked between the two of them, Bae first, then Emma, then returned her gaze to Bae, face screwing up in confusion. "Wait a minute, why are you here?"

"He's Henry's father." Emma said flatly, arms crossed as she stared daggers at the woman, who blanched at the information. "And he's just as worried as we are. So tell us how to fix it so we can get him better."

"I...I don't know, magic doesn't work the same here." She sounded lost as well, and scared, and Bae began to worry further. Neither of them could know his true background, but from what he knew of magic, he never considered it a good thing; having it executed in an environment where it was unnatural couldn't fare much better.

"He's not going to die, is he?" Emma whispered. Regina's shoulders slumped and she looked at the ground, the lack of an answer being all either of them needed. "Well, you better hope not. Because if he dies, then so do you. Is there anyone else? Anyone who may be able to give us a clue how to make this better?"

Behind her, Bae stiffened but Regina didn't seem to notice. His father was certainly aware of who his true self really was, even if everyone else-aside from Mayor Mills, it seemed-were oblivious. Plus, he had been more powerful beings in the realm; Bae began to feel sick. What would happen when-because it was when, not if-Emma found out the truth?

He shivered.

"Gold." He heard Emma's voice, and it pulled him from his thoughts just in time to look at Regina, who met Emma's spoken conclusion with a withering stare.

"In this world. In our world...he's known as Rumpelstiltskin."

* * *

He followed the two women at a distance, his hands stuffed into his jean's pockets as they approached the pawn shop. Emma had told him to stay behind, and seemed almost incredulous at his insistence on coming.

"He's my kid, Emma." He had reasoned with her, taking her hands to try to make her understand. Though she had softened, she had held firm for a few moments.

"Yeah, but fairy tales, Pete." She looked at him pointedly, as if she still barely believed it herself. He merely shook his head.

"It sounds crazy," It did not, of course; he felt a strange sense of vindication for his son, but he would deal with it later, when they could laugh about how silly everyone had not been for believing. When Henry was okay once more. "But if this guy can help Henry, then we go to him. And I come with."

He couldn't tell her that he had ulterior motives, that he had to confront his father himself, that he wanted to keep Emma and hell, even Regina safe. That if Rumpelstiltskin even thought to deny them his help, he'd have to look his son in the eyes and do it.

The chime sounded on the door with Emma and Regina leading the charge into the shop. Bae followed a few steps behind, keeping quiet so he would remain a spectator in all of this, a mere presence as Emma took the wheel. She had a wild look in her eyes, and he knew from knowing her that having control issues was an understatement in a crisis. By the time he had entered the store, his father had looked up and back down at his work, beginning to speak in an amused tone. Bae relaxed in the background, gaze heavy.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the look of a believer?"

Emma scowled at the jest, squaring her shoulders with a frown on her face. Her hands found her hips. "Can it, Gold. We need your help."

"Indeed you do. I hear tell that our young friend is in quite a predicament." His gaze found Bae at the back of the shop for but a moment. It seemed almost as if he were seeking a kind of confirmation that Bae was alright, before turning his attention back to the Queen and speaking more. Bae's nerves settled at that; his father understood the situation at hand and knew that no one was aware of Bae's true identity. If he really thought about it, it was probably more advantageous for the both of them for that to remain a secret for as long as possible. Bae didn't really much care; he just knew if Emma found out, it could mean losing Henry and at that, he could not bear the thought. His father's voice, directed at the Mayor brought him back to the conversation. "I told you magic comes with a price."

"Henry shouldn't have to pay it."

"No, you should," He came around the corner, again, his eyes finding Bae for but a moment before squaring on the Queen, who did not miss their eyes meeting this time and followed it. Her eyes stayed on Bae for a few seconds, much longer than anything that could be considered a casual glance, before she turned back to the shopkeeper and Emma. Bae couldn't help but shiver. "But alas, we are where we are."

"Can you help us?" Emma's tone was desperate and brooked no room for the banter his father was so fond of. He sighed to himself despite it, for he knew the man's usual game of cat and mouse would need to be played if only for his amusement. He let his mind begin to wander as he listened lazily, knowing the words that would slip from his fathers tongue would be full of double meaning and difficult to decipher from his vantage point; he would get more from the conversation when he was able to face him head on, alone. He spent the time perusing the items on the shelves of the pawn shop walls, examining the trinkets and toys of a world long gone and hidden. He frowned. Why ever would he keep these?

"...It has to be Miss Swan."

That got his attention, though, and he whirled around on his heel, the pondering forgotten. He stalked over to the counter and leaned against the it, his shoulders touching Emma's. She gaped at him, her expression a mix of surprise and irritation at his sudden dissent. "Now wait a minute, we already have one person in the hospital..."

"Pete, you need to stay out of this conversation. This isn't your world." She explained sternly, and he bit back a laugh at how wrong she was, especially since as of hours before, she didn't consider it her world either. "If we're going to save Henry, we need his help."

"Yes, Pete." Rumpelstiltskin said the name with a snap of his teeth, a sly smile on his face. Regina once more seemed to examine the exchange, sensing something behind the Imp's tone. "Do be quiet. It has to be Ms. Swan."

He ignored his father for the moment, although his expression soured. "Whatever it is, though, it can't be good."

"It doesn't matter if it's our only option."

"Which it probably isn't." Bae insisted, crossing his arms. "You don't know him, Emma..."

"And you do?"

He seethed, biting back a sharp retort. He collected himself for a moment, his father's grin not escaping his eye line, and sighed. "Only a week, but he isn't hard to read. He does things for the benefit of himself, and no others."

"Yeah, well, she's got nothing." Emma gestured to the Mayor. "And i'm lost, and you're not from around here, so he's the only horse I care to bet on at the moment. Please, Pete, just let us take care of this." She paused. "Maybe you should just go back to the hospital, in case Henry wakes up."

"I'm staying here with you. I don't trust him."

"Well, where you're going, you'll have to go alone." Rumple addressed Emma with a nod. "She's probably right for you to go look after your boy, Mr. Foster. Stay out of her way in her endeavors."

If he could've gotten away with it, he would've jumped the counter and strangled the man, he swore he would. He glared daggers and noticed himself seemingly dismissed as Emma faced off on the pawn shop owner.

"Where is this magic?"

Rumple chuckled, turning to the Mayor. "Tell me, your Majesty, is our friend still in the basement?"

The darker haired woman scowled, eyes narrowing as she began to put everything together. "Oh, you twisted little imp. You hid it with her?"

"Oh no no no, not with her. _In_ her." Bae's heart sank. _In her_. Which meant it had to be something large. And menacing. He could only guess what it may be, but he didn't think he'd need too many hints. "I knew you couldn't resist bringing her over."

"Who is "her"?" Emma's brow furrowed.

"Are you sure it must be Emma?" Bae interrupted once more, pushing himself into the group now. "I can go down and deal with it. I'll bring the potion back. She means much more to Henry than..."

"It has to be her!" Rumple snapped, eyes blazing at his son. He turned back toward Emma, scarily calm once more. "It's someone you should be prepared for. Where you're going, you're gonna need this." He reached under the counter and pulled out a long, thin case and set it on the counter before opening the clasps. Inside lay a long blade with a gilded hilt. Next to it lay a fine leather sheath; Bae could hear Regina's quick breath at the sight of it. Emma looked up at Gold with wide eyes.

"What...is _that_?"

"Your father's sword."

Emma seemed to reel at that information, placing her hands on the glass of the counter and swallowed deeply. She looked ready to throw up, and Bae didn't blame her; as if the task at hand wasn't enough, in front of her lay a tangible piece of a man she had only known as awkward and pitiable David Nolan-a man who now was, in reality, her father. He wished he could warn her about what was in the basement his father had referred to. It was quite possibly an ogre, or a giant, or if his father was particularly malevolent-and he knew he was-a beast that Emma could never anticipate, like a Griffin, Minotaur or a Cerberus. Gods help her if it were a Dragon.

"Okay, well, let's not waste anymore time." She reached for the sword slowly, as if it may bite her should she try and pick it up, but she lifted it effortlessly. The Queen appeared, for not the first time that day, to regard her with some sort of apprehension. Emma looked the part of a Lady Knight, and Bae fought the urge to jest of her royalty; there would be time for that later.

"I want to go by the hospital before I take you there." Regina insisted, hands settling on her hips. "That way we can make sure your friend here stays out of the way as well. I must admit, it will be comforting to know someone is with Henry."

Emma nodded, and he could tell she also wanted to see their son. Bae waved them on. "Go on ahead, I'll be right there." He turned his gaze back to his father. "I would like a quick word with Mr. Gold here."

When the women had exited the shop and Bae was sure the door had closed, his leaned in toward his father who was resting back on his good leg, hands crossed on the top of his cane as he silently gazed at his grown son. Bae scowled.

"You knew," He whispered it furiously, even though it was only the two of them. "You knew Henry was my son from the start."

"I knew nothing of the sort," His father rebuffed the claim, his Scottish brogue thick with affront. "But. He is. And so, the union of you and her must be the work of something larger than just myself." He looked directly into his son's eyes at that. "I know you don't trust me, but I truly had nothing to do with that, and the union is far too serendipitous to be chance. The existence of the curse was not in my mind until the moment she entered the town and spoke her own name, I swear to it on your own life. I was forbidden to leave. I fear, my boy, that we may be dealing with forces outside of even my reach."

The idea of it chilled him to the bone. He was well aware, as powerful and scary as he was, that his father was not the most powerful; the idea that someone else may be playing puppet master in all of this was disconcerting. "Do you...is there anyone you can think of who that may be?"

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "I'm sorry, my boy. If I knew...if I really knew, if there was anything I could do to just make him better for you, you must know I would do it. Bae, I would do anything for you. This is all for you."

He was silent in return. He heard the words and could hear the passion in his father's voice, but the memory of the portal opened by the magic bean still lived fresh in his mind. That was not true, as much as they would both like to believe it; his father was concerned with being able to control his own destiny and to him, the best way to do that was to be the biggest, the best, the most feared. Besides, if any of it was true, it meant that he was the reason for these people being trapped here. For Emma's shitty upbringing, for Henry being in that hospital bed. This being for him, it didn't make it better, it made it worse.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Father. An interesting saying I've become quite fond of since I've come here." Bae scowled deeply, spitting his words. "If he...if Henry doesn't awake from this, I swear to God, I will kill you with my own two hands, do you understand me?" They stared at one another, unblinking. "You may not appreciate your own flesh and blood, but I sure as hell do."

The bell on the door rang behind him as he pushed the door open and didn't look back. He felt his father's gaze on him the whole way.

* * *

By the time he arrived at the hospital, the adrenaline surge in his body had heated his face so that he knew he must look furious. He didn't care; his father loved playing these ridiculous games, that much had not changed, but this wasn't a game anymore. For the first time ever, he realized for a moment how his father could've been driven to the desperate actions he took to keep Bae safe. But an explanation was not an excuse, and none of this or any of the other things Rumpelstiltskin had done could be excused. While he was going to save Henry-he wouldn't let him die, he _wouldn't_-he could not let himself give into the darkness as his father had done. He needed to keep that in mind.

When he made it up to the floor where Henry was being kept, he saw Regina standing over his bedside, head bent in a silent gesture of longing he felt oddly reluctant to interrupt. If he would've stayed only a few moments more, he would've seen the other man join her, begin to argue, but he had spun on his heel to leave without being seen.

He ran straight into Mary Margaret.

He straightened up quickly, holding his arms out to apologize and stabilize her to keep her from falling. She offered him a shaky smile, reassuring him that she was okay as she grabbed his hands. "But I saw Emma leaving when I was coming in, and she looked like she was in a hurry. Is...is everything okay?"

The fear in her eyes made his chest tighten, reminding him of the severity of the situation they were in. He forced a smile. "Nothing worse than it was. I think that Regina and Emma are working on something..."

"Regina...and Emma? Together?" Her tone was skeptical, and if he wasn't mistaken, there seemed a slight tinge of jealousy. The tight smile on his face relaxed some with genuine humor to it. Mary surely didn't believe in the storybook connection she and Emma were said to have shared, but he knew very well that they were close friends and that neither were quite fond of the Mayor. He squeezed her hand.

"A partnership borne of necessity, I'm afraid." He offered. "It seems Mr. Gold..."

At this, Mary scowled. "Oh, good lord. If Mr. Gold is involved..."

He chuckled at that. "I said the same thing, but they seem to think he is someone to listen to. I'm not sure what it entailed, but they seem to trust him enough." His smile fell now as he thought of the boy in the next room. "I came to be with Henry while they did...whatever, it is they plan to do."

Mary's face fell. "Oh goodness, I can leave then. I wouldn't want to impose, I was just thinking of maybe reading to him." She offered a sheepish grin. "When I read to David, he woke up, it seemed. Henry...well, I thought..."

Bae smiled still. "No, no! I wouldn't dream of you leaving. After all, aren't you supposed to be his grandmother?"

She laughed at his teasing. "Of course, of course. Henry has quite the imagination, so I assume if anything can stimulate him..."

They were silenced by the harsh click of heels on the linoleum as Regina emerged from the ward. She practically threw the door from it's hinges, so much so that if not for the scathing looks she threw at them, Bae would've been worried. He craned his neck to see the setting. Something had set her off and made her angry but he could see nothing but the steady beat of a machine near his boy's bed. She was gone before anything was said, and Mary just looked on at him with wide, cautious eyes. He bowed low, an arm out comically. "After you, my lady."

That laugh that slipped through her lips died as soon as she made her way through the glass paned doors of the ward. She had not been to see Henry since his admittance to the hospital, and seeing the boy attached to the machines, IV lines running from his elbows with the tube down his throat was apparently quite a bit to bear. She covered her mouth with her hand, a choked sound coming from her throat and impulsively turned to look away. Bae caught her by the biceps and squeezed softly.

"I really think he'd like it if you stayed and read to him," He reinforced. "He loves that book you gave him, and I think it would do nothing but good."

She looked up at him through shining eyes. "I think maybe it should just be you. You're his father, I don't want to impose..."

"I would find it more of an imposition if you didn't stay." He reassured. "Please. I've never really looked at the book. I'd love to listen as well."

And he did. She told the story of the gallant prince, riding off to save his fallen love. It weaved the tale of Prince James riding to face the trickster Rumpelstiltskin, to face the witch Maleficent, and her Dragon counterpart. That detail did not escape Bae, and at the same time made his stomach flip. A dragon was what faced Emma, he was sure of it now. While he feared for her, he was also comforted by the thought that there is no other person he would trust more in the situation. From the stories he had heard from the book, she had inherited here mother's spirit, and her father's abilities, and the Prince had been successful. Just as she would be.

Just as she had to be.

Mary stopped ready, and he saw the tears brimming. She shook her head. "Sometimes, I think I should've never given him this damned thing."

He could understand that. To her, it was at the root of all of this. He would've never railed against Regina so much if not for the book; never believed in something else if not for those stories, never have found Emma, and Bae himself would not be here. He tried hard to look sympathetic and placed a hand over hers. "I'm happy you did though. You have no idea what it has meant to him. And myself. And Emma, even. Can you be okay with that? With never having met Emma?"

Her face seemed to cloud over at the idea. There were a great many thing that had come from the mythology of the book in Storybrooke, but at the center of all the turmoil and joy was Emma, and no one-except for maybe Regina-could say that that was a bad thing. "I mean, I would've never even known about him. You've given me that. You've given him that. He's happy, Mary."

"And what does it matter if he dies now?" She snapped. "I'll have taken him away from you. From Emma. Even from Regina." She shook her head as a tear snaked down her cheek. "It's all I ever do, I take away the thing that people love the most."

He didn't quite understand what she meant, and by the perplexed look that moved across her face, neither did she. She swallowed with a sniff and again shook her head. "I will never forgive myself if he dies, which is weird. But I feel like giving him this was a part of it and I just...I can't."

He took her her hand then firmly. "You burden yourself too much. And if you are Snow White," His grin was playful so she would think he was joking, but to him, he was fully sincere; he hoped if she ever remembered, she would remember this. "That book has made it evident that you've already taken too much of the burden of guilt upon yourself, for a great many things that were not your fault, really." He offered a tight smile and she chuckled, removing her hand to wipe away her tears. She closed the book, the story having come to a close, and he leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair from the hospital. "Do tell me though, if I may ask. Why did you give him the book in the first place?"

Her face screwed up in confusion as she appeared to think hard on the question. She bit the inside of her cheek, her head cocked to one side before speaking. "Henry's always been one to stick to himself. He was obviously sad, and lonely, and I think I just...I just identified with that a little, maybe." A small smile escaped with a puff of air and she shrugged her shoulders. "I always felt close with him. I don't know, I just...I wanted him to know, that just because it seemed that in life, there weren't always happy endings, that they were always poss-"

She was cut off suddenly by the screaming of the machines. It took the two adults a few moments to react but when they did, both jumped to their feet quickly, frantically searching the room for an answer. Mary started screaming for the doctor first, her eyes welling with tears as Bae immediately gripped his son's bony shoulders, shaking him with ever increasing urgency as the moments passed without a reaction.

"C'mon Henry, this isn't how the story ends. It can't, come on kiddo." He bit his lips, forcing back sobs as his own eyes filled with tears, and he soon felt strong hands grab his arms, start to force him back. He could hear Mary Margaret crying, yelling, and he was suddenly aware he was fighting the nurses who were trying to get him away from the bed so the doctor could work. He let his arms go slack though his eyes never left the boy. He could hear their muffled voices, seemingly from far away, asking him to leave the room, that they needed to work. It all seemed to move in a blur and in slow motion, all at the same time, with Henry being the only clear thing in his minds eye. He could hear the even steady beep of the defibrillator before he heard the doctor's voice, strong and clear, cut through the haze.

"Clear!"

The little boy's body arched in the air as the electricity flowed through him. He could hear Mary sobbing behind him, standing near the door with her arms crossed, and as Dr. Whale rubbed the pads together for a second time, Bae decided this would not do. He spun on his heel and grabbed Mary Margaret, ushering her from the room as he squeezed his eyes tight against the sound of a charge once more, and the lack of a steady heart beat that followed on the monitor. After they exited the room, he gave Mary a reassuring squeeze on her arm before looking her in the eyes. "Mary, listen to me. Find Emma, let her know what's happened. I need to go, now."

"Pete, you can't now! Where are you going to go?" Mary's voice cut hard behind him.

He shook his head, not looking back. "To the only other person I can think of who can make this right."

His heart raced as he passed by his truck and bolted for the main street, finding himself outside the pawn shop in nearly no time at all. He felt the sweat bead at his temple and his chest burn deep as it heaved for more air. He stared, his heart racing as he prepared himself for the things he would say to the man, for the things he may have to do...!

He was halted in his thoughts by the sight of his father exiting the shop, his hand on the shoulder of a very disheveled looking young woman. He leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear as he nodded toward the forest where she took off running. His father then fell back toward the door of his shop once more. He glanced up and down the street before locking the door of the store, and headed in the direction the woman had gone. An innocent passerby would even call him paranoid, but Bae knew better; something was amiss with the old man, and he would bet any amount of his own money that that girl had something to do with it.

He followed them carefully. His father hobbled along the forest trail as if a man possessed, having soon caught up with the frightened young woman and overtaken her on the path. Bae hung back, hoping his father was not playing and had truly not noticed him following carefully behind. The imp was up to something to be sure, especially given the way he seemed to favor his jacket pocket at his side. They were halfway up a ridge toward a small clearing when something changed.

It was as if a great gust of air carried throughout the whole of the forest; not as a normal peal of wind, but almost like a wave ascends a shoreline. It seemed to rise from behind and overtake him, stopping Bae in his tracks as well as the his father and the woman fifty or so feet up ahead. But that's when he heard it.

"Wait..." The girl's voice was soft, and he would've missed it if not for his father's halted step and turn which caused him to stop in his tracks.

"No, no. We're very close..."

"Rumplestiltskin. Wait. I remember."

Bae's heart skipped. She had called him by his name, his real name, claimed remembrance when before there'd been none. _The wave!_ Emma had done it; she had broken the curse, by whatever means he could not guess. But he had to hope...he had to believe; she could've saved Henry too. He felt his heart beat faster at the possibility of it. She had to have.

Part of him wanted to turn back and see. But the interaction between his father and this strange woman intrigued him. What was his father doing out in these woods, and what needed to be cared for so urgently that he had fled his shop as he had done? Had he known Emma would come to the task of breaking the spell? Was there something else to all of this?

What he'd heard next he could scarcely believe.

_"I love you."_

He watched, gobsmacked as the girl's embrace brought his father near tears. Love? The word ignited an unexpected wave of jealousy in his gut he wouldn't have thought possible. There was much he was sure he had missed, depending on the space between when he had disappeared from the Enchanted Forest and when the curse was cast-but love? His father and this beautiful woman?

Bae didn't get to think on it much longer. His father continued with as much vigor as before, if not more and soon, came upon a lone well in the middle of nothing. There, Rumpelstiltskin removed a vial full of a purple concoction and held it precariously over the water.

"No!" Bae's voice escaped him before he had a chance to stop it, and he emerged from his hiding spot behind a great oak tree with his arm outstretched. "Father, you can't!"

Rumple froze in mid gesture, the tilt of his head suddenly an eerie reminder of times past. He grinned impishly. "My boy, when did you join us? Have you been following all along?"

The jovial tone dashed Bae's hopes; apparently he was not as stealth as one would hope. He frowned but quickly approached the couple, noting how the girl seemed to step protectively toward his father. A bit of the jealousy ate as his stomach once more but he pushed it aside.

"That's magic." He stated, his tone accusatory. Rumpel merely cackled dryly, casting his son a sliding glance.

"Observant, my boy. Nothing get's passed you!"

"Father..."

The woman gasped. "Father? Rumpelstiltskin, is this..."

Rumple turned to her, his hands held up in a placating gesture. "I will tell you all of it later, but for now..." He turned back to Bae. "This, is a well that is draws it's waters from Lake Nostos. You remember the tales of its...wondrous properties?"

Bae breathed in sharply. Of course he did; the lake water was rumored to be able to return that which had been lost to one so long ago. And his father was holding a vial of a potion unknown to him precariously above it-one that could quite possibly be very powerful, and very dangerous.

"This isn't a world meant for magic, Father. Believe me, you have no idea..."

"I know that you would rather just roll over and give up than fight!" Rumple snapped. "But I will not run, I will win. And this will be just the thing to make sure that happens."

"Magic?" The woman interrupted. "Whatever for?"

Rumple, with a grin to her, opened his grasp on the vial before Bae could reach for it and it fell toward the bottom of the well for a few moments before the echoed sound of it hitting the water reached their ears. Soon, purple smoke began to billow from the bottom of it out of the mouth of the well. The woman cautioned an apprehensive glance at Bae before turning her gaze on her recently pronounced beloved, her expression now one of concern rather than moonstruck love.

"Because, my dear," Rumple hissed, his eyes finding Bae's before he leaned into toward the lady's face. "Magic...is power."

* * *

The smoke cleared as suddenly as it had appeared. In the main street of the foggy little town, a gleam had found it's way into the eyes of every patron on the street, many clutching one another tightly as if reeling from a dizzying ride. Baelfire, known as only Peter to most, led the way while his father hobbled still behind with the woman he had been introduced to on their way back to the square as Belle. An appropriate name, he had commented, drawing a blush from the woman, a more relaxed moment in the midst of the tension. The town looked as if it had been hit by a great storm, with cars thrown asunder and asphalt broken in places as if the land had shift. Amongst the rubble, at the other end of the street, he could see a flash of red moving slowly as a mop of brown hair ran towards him at full speed. Tears pricked at his eyes and he cried out, dropping to his knee just in time.

"Henry!"

The boy caught him at the full on sprint, almost knocking his father over as he flung his arms around his neck. Bae had never quite understood the drama of movies in which scenes like this were played out, but right now, it felt as if every nerve ending in his body was tingling. He felt as if he were falling and soaring all at once. He pulled the boy back to look at his face. "I thought we'd lost you there for a minute."

"For a minute we did." Emma's flat tone cut through the reunion. She glared at Henry, who looked upon his father's face with resignation as he backpedaled to her, standing behind her as she seemed to brace him from the other presence that had appeared behind Bae. When he turned, Rumple met his son's gaze with a shared relief, and Bae found comfort that at least his concern for Henry seemed genuine. When he turned back to Emma, there was no comfort to be found.

The janitor Leroy stood behind her, murder in his gaze. The old woman and Ruby stood next to him, scowling with equal parts of anger, and Archie Hopper took the other side as well. All seemed to be cornering the three, their stances hostile. Mary Margaret and David-well, Snow White and Charming, he surmised-were nowhere to be found. He wondered if Emma had seen them yet.

"Pete, what are you doing with _him_?" She practically spat the last part of her sentence, her eyes never leaving Rumpelstiltskin. His father's chest puffed out a bit in defense as he pushed Belle behind him, shielding her with his body. Bae sighed.

"Em, I can explain..."

"Oh yeah, you'd better. What the hell, were you doing with him? I thought you were staying with Henry!"

"I was! I did!" Bae defended himself vehemently. "But when he..." He shook his head. "I went to find the only person I thought could help us."

"I fought a dragon." Her eyes were wild and terrified, her speech frantic as if trying to convey just the amount of crazy her afternoon had been for her, the non-believer. He had to hide a smirk as he was sure he could not doubt it would have caused some sort of frenzy. "August turned to wood!"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion at that part. It was obvious to everyone that Emma was barely hanging in there. Henry shrugged toward him, sympathy evident in his expression as even he seemed to realize his father was in for it. For her to mention the strange writer that had been hanging about in the town was different though. "Wood." He repeated, hoping his tone translated just how confused he was. She rolled her eyes.

"Pinocchio, apparently." She scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't even know..." She sniffed, readjusting her stance. Her shoulders suddenly grew tense, and her posture stiff. "And you've been with him this whole time. You know, you've been seen with him a bit over this past week. At the shop. And today, when Regina and I were there, don't think I didn't see the looks you two were exchanging. What are you not telling me Pete?" Her tone was suspicious as her eyes narrowed, and her hand went to the holster at her side.

"Emma, there's a lot we..."

She drew her gun. "You know what, I actually realize I don't care. Get out of the way."

He stared back at her now, almost speechless at the sight of it. "Are you...what...are you going to shoot him?"

"Henry may be your kid, but this isn't your fight, Pete, now get out of the way." She cocked her head slightly. "Unless there's something you need to tell me. Are you working for him?"

"Em, this is not the right thing to do! This isn't the person you are, this isn't how you handle things..." He found himself backing up toward his father and the woman he shielded, his arms outstretched at his side to protect them. Hurt flashed across Emma's face, followed by confusion as her eyes narrowed.

"He ruined my life, not to mention everyone else. He's at least damn well not going anywhere, so get out. Of the way."

"You're not going to shoot him!"

"Give me one good reason why the hell not, because right now, I'm fresh out of any. I'm tired, Pete!" She demanded, her chest heaving with the heavy breaths she took. Her gun was clenched in her hand, the knuckles white. Bae did not budge from his spot in front of the man they all knew as Rumpelstiltskin. He knew her; he knew that she was truly serious, but emotions were running high right now and it had been a long day, and he didn't want her to get hurt. He would regret this, but that there was nothing else to do-as angry as he was toward him, he could not let Emma try and take him to jail or possibly act against his father just yet. He doubted she would even be able to, with the magick returned, and he feared more for her safety than anyone else's. He took a deep breath.

God, he didn't want to do this to her. She was looking at him like she did when she was young, when she wanted someone to save her, to make her believe in the good the world could be. To tell her he had nothing to do with this man, and his crazy plan, and the curse, but his father had all but confirmed it.

_"This has all been for you."_

He didn't like it; he didn't have control over it, but whatever had happened between them so many years before had set actions into motion beyond his control. For a moment, he cursed himself for being such a stupid young boy, for believing that the power his father held would be easily relinquished because he merely asked for it. For still believing that there was anything left of his father after the old Dark One had been slain.

He was still a fool, he knew, because a tiny part of him still believed. He could not deny it. And because despite all of this, he could not allow her to exact her revenge. He straightened his posture and looked at her directly, because she of all of them deserved at least that.

"Because," He began softly, licking his lips nervously as he met her gaze. "I'm his son."


End file.
